70yrs

The Classical Period

1750-1820

WHAT WAS HAPPENING?

1769 – Watt invents steam engine

1776 – Declaration of Independence

“Heroic Symphony composed to celebrate the memory of a great man.”

1803/04Beethoven tears out the title of his Third Symphony “Bonaparte” renames it “Eroica.”

1813- Jane Austen writes a novel

LOS 3 GRANDES

Ludwig Van Beethoven

Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart

Franz Joseph Haydn

The Classical Style

Contrast of MoodRhythmTextureMelodyDynamics and the Piano

The Classical Orchestra

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The Classical OrchestraA standard group of four sections came to be.

Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion

Strings: 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello, double bass

Woodwinds: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons

Brass: 2 French horns, 2 trumpets

Percussion: 2 timpani

The strings were the most important section, with the first violins, taking the melody most of the time and the lower strings providing an accompaniment.

The woodwinds added contrasting tone colors and were often given melodic solos.

Horns and trumpets brought power to loud passages and filled out the harmony, but didn’t usually play the main melody.

Timpani were used for rhythmic bite and emphasis.

Classical Forms

Common four movement patterns emerged from instrumental compositions such as symphonies, sonatas and string quartets.

Example:1. Fast Movement 2. Slow Movement3. Dance-related Movement4. Fast Movement

Symphonies were written for orchestras.String quartets were written for 2 violins, a viola and a cello.Sonatas were for one or two instruments.

Composer, Patron and Public

Haydn was a paid servant for the Esterházy family.Mozart couldn’t stand being a servant and left to Vienna to become a freelance musician.Beethoven went to Vienna as well and catered to the middle class.

ViennaThe Rise of the Middle Class

Public organized its own concerts

Composers wrote popular folk tunes into their music.

Operas were written in more rustic fashion as opposed to a courtly fashion often times making fun of aristocracy in the story line.

How is Vienna like Nashville?

Vienna was a music center for Europe.

All of “Los 3 Grandes” were born away from Vienna but were drawn there for recognition.

Beethoven traveled to Vienna at 16 to play for Mozart; at 22, he returned to study with Haydn.